gear problems

[0lonerider]

HELP! The other day I was asked if I would have a look at the gears on a trek 3500, they would only go in 4th 5th and 6 gear! I checked the shifter and it worked ok but the cable was well worn and the cable sticking in the sleeve as it connected to the rear derailleur, so today I fitted a new cable and sleeve but can still only get the 3 same gears?
The lad who's owns the bike said he had fiddled with the adjusting screws before i had a look! Iv tryed to reset them slightly but nothing will make them change upto 1st 2nd
Or 3rd???

 

[fossyant]

Undo the gear cable. By hand can you move the rear mech in and out so it can move through the whole range.

If not it's the adjusters.

To set up, you need to make sure the gear leaver is in the highest gear, i.e. make sure it's at 7,8, 9, the last one to start with.

I've just been fixing a mates son's really rubbish silver fox, and I got that going. The £30 parts and 2 bottles of wine my mate gave me were probably half the price of the bike. It had been left outside to die for a year. Hardly used.

 

[fossyant]

Your photo angles from the rear aren't great, but double check that mech hasn't been twanged as the 'extra' hanger part looks a little twisted. It shouldn't affect manual checks on whether the mech will move up and down the cassette though.

 

[0lonerider]

The rear derailleur moves fine by hand but the shifter is very tight when trying to shift up, it only move up one gear if lucky!!

 

[mybike]

OK, I'm no expert but that hanger looks bent to me.

 

[boydj]

Disconnect the cable from the mech, hold it tight in your fingers and shift the lever up and down to see if the cable is being moved through the full range of the gears. It does sound like the problem is in the shifter.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I checked the shifter and it worked ok

The rear derailleur moves fine by hand but the shifter is very tight when trying to shift up

So does the shifter work fine, or not? Unbolt the cable from the derailleur. You've said the RD moves far enough to reach the largest sprocket (of 7) and when released should sit in line with the smallest (adjust limit screw till it does). So the problem's (as @boydj says) seems to be in the shifter. Give it a good squirt of WD40 or similar. With no cable tension can you get 6 clicks, up and down? You need to. What do you mean, it's "very tight" going up? Holding the cable in your fingers, when you click the shifter, does the cable move as you'd expect? Perhaps an image of the shifter might help, so we know what type it is.

 

[tincaman]

The back of the gear hanger looks like it has had something snapped off it, so it may have suffered an impact in the past. You have may multiple problems but you need to check the gear hanger straightness first otherwise everything else is going to be very difficult to set up

 

[Ajax Bay]

The back of the gear hanger looks like it has had something snapped off it,

I suggest that's just an effect of the light on the second image: The other two images suggest the hanger is fine.
What chainwheel was the chain on when the photos were taken? Can you get onto the larger sprockets with the chain on the small chainring?

 

[0lonerider]

Thanks for all the replys I don't have the bike here he uses it every day, there's pics of the shifter above, I'll dismantle the shifter tomorrow if the lads free.

 

[Ajax Bay]

there's pics of the shifter above

For the avoidance of doubt, we have images of the rear derailleur in your OP: I'm suggesting an image of the shifter (ie the right one on the bars) as the problem is either there or (I'm postulating pending answers to my other questions) a chain that's somehow been fitted too short.

 

[0lonerider]

Ok Il take some pics of the shifter with the covers removed, when I replaced the cable the chain was on the big cog at the front and smallest at the back.

 

[0lonerider]

Yipeeee it's sorted! I checked the shifter this morning and it worked in all gears when the cable was disconnected so did the derailer, but still only 3 gears when connected, I tryed the adjuster screws but still couldn't get 3rd 2nd or first???
So we took a ride over to recycle ya bike in byker Newcastle and had one of there guys take a look, after having a good fiddle with the barrel adjuster and the up and down adjuster and a bend of the derailer hanger he managed to get every gear apart from first as the hanger is bent slightly. So we have ordered a new one.
RECYCLE YA BIKE ONLY ASKED FOR A DONATION FOR ADJUSTING THE GEARS,but my mate also bought a 2nd waterbottle cage and a set of bar ends for 2 qwid, total spend £10.
Thanks for all the help everyone.
And a big thank you to recycle ya bike for a great sevice at a great price!! I must say they have some really good bicycles for sale in there city centre cycling cafe also at very good prices.

 

[Ajax Bay]

0191 265 4197 | 07737 526020 | recyke@cooptel.net

Byker Newcastle

"the hanger is bent slightly" - where were you @screenman ?

 

[0lonerider]

Cheers, every time I try to post links they never work